Rail-lubricator.



PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

M. W. BIRD.

RAIL LUBRIGATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 0015, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

WK in 65S 65 was no, FHOYO-UTND" WASHINGTON. w. c.

UNITED -STATES Patented June 28, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL-LUBRICATCR.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 763,537, dated. June28, 1904.

Application filed 'October 5, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON W. BIRD, a citi- ,zen of the United States,residing at Seattle,

. tion.

The object of my invention is First. To provide a device for lubricatingthe wheels and rails, more particularly. of street-cars, in such amanner that on the curves the friction between the flange andrail willbe diminished.

Second. Of so applying the .'lubricant that the horizontal frictionalcontact between the wheel proper and rail will not be reduced.

A further object is to suppress the disagreeable noise occasioned bysaid friction upon curves.

Third. To provide a simple device capable of being attached to any car,one thatwill be at once economical, uniform, and, where.

construction of cars-will permit, automatic in'its action, as 1 in carsthat have trucks that turn on a pivot orbolster.

Fourth. To provide a lubricating device which will be serviceable undervarying climatic conditions and which may be readily taken apart andassembled.

I attain these several objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. I

Similar characters of reference refer to corresponding parts in theseveral views.

All of the parts are to be preferably ofmetal.

Figure 1 is a side view showing the automatic connection between thelubricator and body of the car, also the relation of the lubricator tothe several parts of the car with which it cooperates. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the lubricator on the line A B, Fig. 1, alsoa frontview of car-wheel and rail. Fig. 3 gives a view of the truck-frame towhich lubricator is attached, also a section of the lubricator on theline C D, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view of the gates which regulate thedischarge of oil from the lubricator-wheel, all of which will be morefully explained hereinafter.

1 is the casing of lubricator, composed of Serial No. 175,843- (Nomodel.)

two principal parts or sections, the lower one forming an oil-chamber.These sections are joined at the line 2, Fig. 1, and secured togetherbythe lugs 3 and bolts 4. A wheel 5 is placed partly within the casingland se-,

cured to shaft 6, which rotates in the boxes 7, Fig. 1. The shaft 6,Fig. 2, is reduced at 8, forming shoulders at 9, which prevent anylongitudinal movement of the shaft 6. A groove 10 is formed in the rimor periphery of the wheel 5 to receive the flange 11 of the car-wheel12. The casing 1 is removed at 13 that the wheel 5 may protrude, as at14, Fig. 1-. The gates 15, Figs. 1 and 4, are provided with slottedholes 16, which permit them to be raised or lowered through the mediumof the set-screws 17 that the discharge of oil ma be regulated, Fig. 4.

At 18, Fig. 1, screens or shields are attached to the casing 1 throughthe medium of the set-screws 19, which are inserted through slotted orelongated holes which provide for their close adjustment to thecar-wheel 12 that no accumulation of dirt may interfere with thelubricator-wheel 5.

At 20, Fig. 1, a lid is provided that access may readily be had tooil-chamber 21, Fig. 2. The slides 22, Figs. 1 and 3, permit thetruck-frame 23 to reciprocate with relation to the lubricator, allowingthe wheel 5 and carwheel 12 to come in contact. By the construction ofthe slides 22 as shown at 24, Fig. 3., the lubricator will have somelateral movement by which it will accommodate itself to any sidemovement of the car-wheel 12.

Through the lug 25 a channel is cut to receive the spring-head 26 andthe lower end of the vertical lever 27. The spring 28 is connected tothe arm 29 with an adjustable clamping device 30 that the lubricator maybe properly adjusted. 31 represents the floor of the car-body. Thespring 28 is so made that when it is at rest it may be either compressedor extended.

The operation of lubricator will be explained as follows: For example,we say the car-wheel shown is the front wheel of the front trucks. Thedrawings give the position of the lubricator on a straight track. When acurve is reached, if the lubricator is on the outside of the curve thecar-wheel 12 and truck-frame 23 travel forward with relation to thecarbody and lubricating device, the car-wheel 12 comes in contact withthe lubricator-Wheel 5, (the spring 28 is then compressed according tothe degree of curve,) and the Wheel 5 revolves by the contact. The oilfrom within the chamber 1 is adhesively conveyed by thepartially-submerged wheel 5 when rotated and is delivered by centrifugalforce at the periphery of said wheel to the contacting car-wheel flangeand thence deposited upon the trackrail therebeneath to thoroughlylubricate the same.

WVhen the lubricator is on the inside of a curve, the operation isreversed from that above described, the spring 28 being extended, whichrenders the lubricator inoperative unless the degree of curve issufficient to bring the top end of the vertical lever at 32 in contactwith the spring 33, which operation will, through the medium of thevertical lever 27, cause the lubricator to operate by bringing it incontact with the car-wheel. This is necessary that the safety or guardrail (indicated by dotted lines 34, Fig.2) which is placed on the insideof sharp curves may be lubricated, the aforedescribed means of impartinga reciprocal movement of the lubricating device into and out ofengagement with the wheels of cars having non-rotatable trucks not beingoperative.

I desire to operate the lubrication device with any simple lever, asindicated by dotted lines 35, Fig. 1, convenient for the motor mansfoot. I

The adjustable clamping devices 30 and 36 shown on the drawings form nopart of my present invention. I

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in a rail-lubricator of a casing so constructed as toreceive and retain oil and provided with boxes in which a shaft mayrotate substantially as set forth and described.

2. In a rail-lubricator the combination of a wheel partly inclosedwithin a casing and secured to a shaft having its lower part to besubmerged in oil for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the parts in a raillubricator forming theautomatic connection of the lubricator to the body of the car, namely,

the spiral spring 28, the verticallever 27 the arm 37 and the spring 33in the arrangement shown and for the object specified and set forth.

4. In arail-lubricator, the combination with a casing having anoil-chamber therein, of a peripherally-grooved wheel provided with anaxle journaled in said casing, substantially as described.

5. In a rail-lubricator, the combination with a casing having anoil-chamber therein, a wheel rotatably mounted in said casing andprotruding through an opening in one end of the cas- MILTON w. BIRD.

Witnesses:

J l). WARREN, W. H. FLETCHER.

